ActionAid Palestine to Stress the Role of Young Volunteers in Combating Gender-Based Violence

Palestine - ActionAid Palestine celebrates volunteers and expresses its thanks and appreciation for their work in serving the Palestinian community and leading voluntary and community initiatives that seek to enhance community resilience, adapt to the climate crisis, preserve the Palestinian environment, and combat gender-based violence. International Volunteer Day falls on 5th of December each year.

This day is being celebrated this year under theme of, "Solidarity through Volunteering". This day coincides with 16-day campaign of Activism against gender-based violence. Therefore, AAP and its partners in Gaza Strip and the West Bank seek to enhance the role of volunteers in building solidarity with different groups of society, especially women, and enhance their role in combating GBV , support victims of GBV, and demand the provision of legal protection services and psychological support for them, and reforming laws that guarantee their protection.

A group of volunteers, in partnership with Wefaq Association for Women and Child Care based in Gaza Strip, through the AAP’s Project of “Strengthening Palestinian young people, Particularly Young Women’s Leadership and Influence for Resilient, Just and Green Societies” implemented a series of activities, lobbying campaigns, advocacy, awareness and media to raise community awareness about the importance of fighting gender-based violence and demanding reform of laws, especially the Palestinian Family Bill , to ensure the protection of GBV victims and survivors .

Abed Al-Rahman Abu Azoom says: “Youth have the power to highlight Gender Based Violence by conducting community activities and initiatives. They also have influence contributing to raise culture and community awareness on combating GBV”.

The volunteers Mohammad Shua’ib says: “Community voluntary work provides individuals with important space for enhancing their skills, building their capacities and promoting their role in strengthening community connections and protecting vulnerable groups”.

The volunteer Mohmmad Al-Mudallal says: “youth must be engaged in designing and leading awareness campaigns that demand to stop all forms of violence and particularly violence against women”.

Zakaria Jaber, a volunteer in combating GBV says: “the role of youth is to have initiative for shedding the light on community issues and addressing them to create community change and contribute to stopping GBV”.

Tal’at Hajaj, a young volunteer in combating GBV says “the role of youth should be activated in leading unique initiatives that seek to fight GBV”

Salma Abu Amara is a young woman volunteer says:“Youth should support women through voluntary activities demanding to provide women with protection services, legal counselling, psychological support and reforming laws for protecting rights of GBV victims and survivors”.

Background Information

ActionAid in Palestine (AAP) is a part of global federation working for social justice and gender equality and eradicate poverty in more than 45 countries around the world. AAP started its work in Palestine in 2007 to strengthen the resilience of Palestinian People as ActionAid believes that they should enjoy their rights to freedom, justice and self-determination. AAP implements a number of programs through its engagement with communities and women and youth groups seeking to empower them and enhance their influential civil and political participation to understand their rights and undertake collective activism to address the protracted rights violations resulting from the prolonged occupation of Palestine. AAP works simultaneously to enhance their leadership capacity and knowledge to practice their citizenship in holding authorities and other duty bearers to account.

For more information, please contact

Riham Jafari

Coordinator of Advocacy and Communication in Palestine

Mobile:

+972 (0) 595242890

Office:

+972 (0) (2) 22 13 137

Email: Riham.Jafari@actionaid.org